Making and canning your own
Plum jelly, Damson jelly, Pluot, "Dinosaur Egg" plums, Gage jelly or Nectarine jelly is
so easy. Here's how to do it, in 12
simple steps and completely illustrated. I'll discuss plums below,
but you can substitute peaches, plums or nectarines! Any variations will be spelled out in the directions inside the pectin.
This stuff is awesome; if you never had plum jelly, you don't know what you're
missing!

Sugar - About 4.5 cups of dry, granulated (table) sugar. It
is possible to make low-sugar, fruit juice-sweetened, or Stevia (or if you prefer, Splenda)-sweetened
fig jam; I'll point out the differences below.

Pectin - get the "no sugar needed" type - (it's a natural product, made from apples and available at grocery stores (season - spring through late summer) and local "big box" stores. It usually goes for about $2.00 to $2.50 per box. You'll get best results with no-sugar needed pectin, whether you choose to add sugar or not! See here for more
information about how to choose the type of pectin to use.

Equipment

Jar funnel ($2 at Target, other big box stores, and often grocery stores; and available online - see this page) or order it as part of the kit
with the jar grabber.

Ball jars (Grocery stores, like Publix, Kroger, Safeway carry them, as do some big box stores - about $7 per dozen 8
ounce
jars including the lids and rings)

Lids - thin, flat, round metal lids with
a gum binder that seals them against the top of the jar. They
may only be used once.

Rings - metal bands that secure the lids
to the jars. They may be reused many times.

Jar grabber (to pick up the hot jars)- Big box stores and grocery stores sometimes carry them; and it is available online - see this page. It's a tremendously useful to put jars in the canner and
take the hot jars out (without scalding yourself!). The kit sold
below has everything you need, and at a pretty good price:

Optional stuff:

Foley Food Mill ($25) - not necessary; useful if you want to remove seeds (from
blackberries)
or make applesauce.

Lid lifter (has a magnet to pick the lids out of the boiling
water where you sanitize them. ($2 at big box stores or it comes in the kit at left)

Plum (and/or peach, plum or nectarine) Jam-making Directions

This example shows you how to make jelly from plums (and other stone fruits)! The yield from
this recipe is about 8 to 10 eight-ounce jars (which is the same as 5 pints). You can make any one, or mix fruit. Some people seem to like plum-raspberry, plum-blackberry combinations, also. Even plum-pineapple (crush the pineapple)

Step 1 - Pick the Plums! (or buy them already
picked)

It's fun to go pick your own and you can obviously get better
quality ones! (Damsons are shown in the photo at left)

I prefer to grow my own; which is
really easy -
but that does take some space and time. As mentioned in the Ingredients
section; you may use frozen Plums (those without syrup or added sugar);
which is especially useful if you want to make some jelly in December to give
away at Christmas!

Step 2 - How much fruit?

Jellies and jams can ONLY be made in rather small batches - about 5 to
6 cups at a
time - like the directions on the pectin say, DO NOT increase the recipes
or the jelly won't "set" (jell, thicken). It takes about 8
cups of raw, unprepared Plums per batch. For mixed fruit jelly, I use 4 cups of mushed (slightly crushed)
Plums, 1 cup of raspberries and 1 cup
of strawberries or blackberries. That makes a nice combo-plum jelly.
Raspberries and plums seem to go very well together, blackberries add a
nice flavor, too.

Step 3 - Wash the jars and lids

Now's a good time to get the jars ready, so you won't be rushed later.
The dishwasher is fine for the jars; especially if it has a "sanitize" cycle, the water bath processing will
sanitize them as well as the contents! If you don't have a dishwasher with a sanitize cycle, you can wash the containers in hot, soapy water and rinse, then
sanitize the jars by boiling them 10 minutes, and keep the jars in hot
water until they are used.

NOTE: If unsanitized jars are used, the product should be processed
for 5 more minutes. However, since this additional processing can result
in a poor set (runny jam), it’s better to sanitize the jars.

Put the lids into a pan of hot, but not quite boiling water (that's what the manufacturer's recommend) for 5 minutes, and use the magnetic "lid lifter wand" to pull them out.

Leave the jars in the dishwasher on "heated dry" until you are ready
to use them. Keeping them hot will prevent the jars from breaking when
you fill them with the hot jelly.

Lids: put the very hot (but not quite boiling; around 180 F, steaming water is fine) water for at least several minutes;
to soften up the gummed surface and clean the lids. I just leave them
in there, with the heat on very low, until I need them!

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Step 4 -Wash the fruit and sort!

I'm sure you can figure out how to wash the fruit in a
colander of plain
cold water.

Then you need to pick out and remove any bits of stems, leaves and soft
or mushy fruit. It is easiest to do this in a large bowl of water and
gently run your hands through the fruit as they float. With your
fingers slightly apart, you will easily feel any soft or mushy fruit
get caught in your fingers.

Then
just drain off the water!

Step 5 - Peeling the Plums

Plums and nectarines should be peeled, as their skins can be tough /
chewy in jelly. If you do want to leave the skins in, you might want
to run the fruit through a blender or food processor to chop them up (after you remove the
pits, of course). I prefer peeled (both for texture and pesticides
are concentrated in the skins, so with store-bought plums, this helps
eliminate more of the bad stuff!) I have also simmered the whole plums is
1 inch of apple or grape juice for 10 minutes, let them cool down, then
just felt for the pits with my fingers. That is a very fast method.
I run the remaining plum guts through the food processor to smooth it out.

For those you want to peel, here's a great trick that works with many fruits and vegetables
with skins (like tomatoes): just dip the fruit in boiling water for 30 to
60 seconds.

Remove from the water using a slotted spoon and put into
a large bowl or pot of cold water and ice.

The skins will easily slide off
now IF the plums are ripe! The more unripe they are, the longer you'll
need to heat them.

Step 6 - Cut up the plums

Cut out any brown spots and mushy areas. Cut the
plums in half, or
quarters or slices, as you prefer! Remove pits!

Step 7 - Prevent the fruit from darkening!

Now, to keep the fruit from turning brown, when you get a bowlful,
sprinkle 1/4 cup lemon juice or Fruit-Fresh (which is just a mix of citric acid and vitamin C, perfectly natural). Then stir the plums to make sure
all the surfaces have been coated.

Step 8 - Measure out the sweetener

Depending upon which type of jelly you're making (sugar, no-sugar, Stevia (but you will have to experiment with amount, each brand of Stevia is a different concetration), or Splenda, or a mix of sugar and Stevia (or Splenda) or fruit juice) you will need to use a different
amount of sugar and type of pectin. The precise measurements are found in
directions inside each and every box of pectin sold (every brand, Ball,
Kerr, Mrs. Wages, etc. has directions inside).

Type of jelly

Type of pectin to buy

Sweetener

regular

no-sugar or regular

7 cups of sugar

low sugar

no-sugar

4.5 cups of sugar

lower sugar

no-sugar

2 cups sugar and 2 cups Splenda (or about 1/3 that if you use Stevia, which is my preference)

no sugar

no-sugar

4 cups Splenda (or about 1/3 that if you use Stevia, which is my preference)

natural

no-sugar

3 cups fruit juice (grape, peach, apple or mixed)

Step 9 - Mix the dry pectin with about 1/4 cup
of sugar or other sweetener

Keep this separate from the rest of the sugar. If you are not using sugar, you'll just have to stir more vigorously to prevent the pectin from clumping.
Be sure to use a "No sugar needed" pectin rather than the regular pectin.
It works with any amount of any sweetener and ensures a better set.

Notes about pectin: I usually add about 25% - 30% more pectin (just
open another pack and
add a little) or else the jelly is runnier than I like. With a little practice,
you'll find out exactly how much pectin to get the thickness you like.

Is your
jelly too runny? Pectin enables you to turn out perfectly set
jelly every time. Made from natural apples, there are also natural no-sugar pectins that allow you to reduce the sugar you add by half or even eliminate sugar!
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Step 10 - Heat the chopped plums to a simmer

We just want to bring the
plums to a simmer to help release the juice
and break down some of the fruit to help it pass through our jelly
strainer. Put the crushed or chopped plums in a big pot on the stove over medium to high heat (stir often enough to
prevent burning) for until it starts to boil, then reduce the heat and
simmer for 10 minutes. If you used a juicer, then you can skip
this step and go straight to step 8.

Step 11 - Sieve the cooked plums

You can either put the soft cooked
plums through a jelly strainer
(about $9.00, see ordering at right) which results in the most clear
jelly and is easiest to use, or pour them through cheesecloth in
a colander. Or if you don't mind chunky jelly, just let the juice stand
for 20 minutes, and decant (pour off) the clear liquid to use and leave
the solids behind.

You may also want to run the crushed cooked plums through a Foley
food mill (about $20
- see this
page) BEFORE the jelly strainer - it helps to extract more juice,
reduce the plums to a smaller size and get out the large skins that will clog the strainer. It's not
necessary, but helps you get the most out of the plums.

If you need a stopping point and want to finish up the next day, this
is a good place. Sometimes, jelly gets crystals, called tartrate crystals,
forming in the jelly. They're not harmful and don't affect the
taste, but some people don't like the appearance. I rarely even
see them! But if you do, let juice stand
in a cool place overnight, then strain through two thicknesses of damp
cheesecloth to remove any crystals that have formed.

Step
12 - Add the pectin to the hot strained juice and bring to a full boil

Mix the 1 and a quarter boxes of dry pectin with about 1/4 cup of sugar and Keep this separate from the rest of the sugar. If you are not using sugar, you'll just have to stir more vigorously to prevent the pectin from clumping. This helps to keep the pectin from clumping up and allows it to mix better!

Stir the pectin into the plum juice and put the mix
in a big pot on the stove over medium to high heat (stir often
enough to prevent burning). It should take about 5 to 10 minutes
to get it to a full boil, (the kind that cannot be stirred
away).

Step 13 - Add the (remaining) sugar and bring to
a boil

When
the plum-pectin mix has reached a full boil, add the rest of the sugar
(about 4 cups of sugar per 6 cup batch of Plums) or other sweetener, and
then bring it back to a boil and boil hard for 1 minute.

Step 14 - Testing for
"jell" (thickness)

I keep a metal tablespoon sitting in a
glass of ice water, then take a half spoonful of the mix and let it cool
to room temperature on the spoon. If it thickens up to the
consistency I like, then I know the jelly is ready. If not, I mix in a
little more pectin (about 1/s to 1/2 of another package) and bring it to a
boil again for 1 minute.

Step 15 - Fill the jars and put the lid and
rings on

Fill them to within ¼-inch of the top, wipe any spilled
jelly off the
top, seat the lid and tighten the ring around them. Then put them into
the boiling water canner!

This is where the jar tongs
and lid lifter come in really
handy!

Step 16 - Process the jars in the boiling
water bath

Keep the jars covered with at least 2 inches of water. Keep the water
boiling. In general, boil them for 5 minutes. I say "in general"
because you have to process (boil) them longer at higher altitudes than sea
level, or if you use larger jars, or if you did not sanitize the jars and
lids right before using them. The directions inside every box of
pectin will tell you exactly. The directions on the pectin tend to be
pretty conservative. Clemson University says you only need to process
them for 5 minutes. I usually hedge my bets and start pulling them out
after 7 minutes, and the last jars were probably in for 10. I rarely
have a jar spoil, so it must work.

Note: Some people don't even boil the jars; they just ladle it hot into hot jars, put the lids and rings on and invert them, but putting the jars in the boiling water bath REALLY helps to reduce spoilage! To me, it makes little sense to put all the working into making the
jelly and then not to process the jars to be sure they don't spoil!

Step 17 - Remove and cool the jars - Done!

Lift the jars out of the water and let them cool without touching or
bumping them in a draft-free place (usually takes overnight) You can then remove the rings if you like, but if you leave them on, at least loosen them quite a bit, so they don't rust in place due to trapped moisture. Once the jars are cool, you can check that they are sealed verifying that the lid has been sucked down. Just press in the center, gently, with your finger. If it pops up and down (often making a popping sound), it is not sealed. If you put the jar in the refrigerator right away, you can still use it. Some people replace the lid and reprocess the jar, then that's a bit iffy. If you heat the contents back up, re-jar them (with a new lid) and the full time in the canner, it's usually ok.

Once cooled, they're ready to store. I find they last up to 12 months. But after about 6 to 8 months, they get darker in color and start to get runny. They still are safe to eat, but the flavor and texture aren't as good. So eat them in the first 6 months after you prepare them!

Other Equipment:

From left to right:

Jar lifting tongs
to pick up hot jars

Lid lifter
- to remove lids from the
pot
of boiling water
(sterilizing )

Lid
- disposable - you may only
use them once

Ring
- holds the lids on the jar until after
the jars cool - then you don't need
them

* - This assumes you already have the pots, pans, ladles, and
reusable equipment. Note that you can reuse the jars, and that reduces
the cost! Just buy new lids (the rings are reusable, but the flat lids
are not)!

Why should cooked jelly be made in small batches?If a larger quantity of juice is used, it will be necessary to boil it longer
thus causing loss of flavor, darkening of jelly, and toughening of jelly.
It really doesn't work. Trust me; I've tried many times!

Can I use frozen fruit instead of fresh?Yep! Raspberries can be particularly hard to find fresh and are
expensive! Frozen fruit work just fine, and measure the
same. Just be sure to get the loose, frozen whole fruit; not
those that have been mushed up or frozen in a sugar syrup!

What do I do if there's F on my jellied fruit product?Discard jellys and jellies with mold on them. The mold could be producing a mycotoxin (poisonous substance that can make you sick). USDA and microbiologists
recommend against scooping out the mold and using the remaining jam or jelly.

Home Canning Kits

Features:

Everything you need to get started with waterbath
canning (fruits,pickles, jams, jellies, salsa, sauces
and tomatoes)

21-1/2 qt. enamel water bath canner

Funnel, jar lifter, lid lifter, bubble freer
spatula

Ball Blue Book

This is the same type of standard canner that my grandmother used to make everything from applesauce to jams and jellies to tomato and spaghetti sauce. This complete kit includes everything you need and lasts for years: the canner, jar rack, jar grabber tongs, lid lifting wand, a plastic funnel, labels, bubble freer, and the bible of canning, the Ball Blue Book. It's much cheaper than buying the items separately. You'll never need anything else except jars & lids (and the jars are reusable)! There is also a simple kit with just the canner and rack, and a pressure canner, if you want to do vegetables (other than tomatoes). To see more canners, of different styles, makes and prices, click here!

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Canning books

Canning & Preserving for Dummies by Karen Ward
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The Ball Blue Book of Preserving

This is THE book on canning! My grandmother used this book when I
was a child. It tells you in simple instructions how to can almost
anything; complete with recipes for jam, jellies, pickles, sauces, canning
vegetables, meats, etc. If it can be canned, this book likely tells
you how! Click on the link below for more information and / or to buy (no
obligation to buy)

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